A Comparative Study of Chinese and Mongolian New Year`s Customs

• Main Authors: Nomin Enkhbold, 諾敏
• Other Authors: lawrence
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70909003326510485832

碩士 === 銘傳大學 === 華語文教學碩士學位學程 === 98 === The main purpose of this study is to investigate the Chinese and Mongolian Lunar New Year customs, food and others cultural similarities and differences. From a professional point of view of teaching Chinese as a second language, a Chinese learner should learn how to interact with the Chinese culture. This is particularly important since culture is a set of behavioral and cognitive patterns in second language learning. Language is an important component of culture, as culture plays a crucial role in language. They can never be separated. If arbitrarily separated, neither will be complete in its intrinsic relations. We can even say that second language acquisition is equated with second culture acquisition. Linguists and anthropologists on this arguments are numerous: (Robinson-Stuart & Nocon 1996; Scollon & Scollon 1995). For thousands of years, the Mongolian nation has been herding livestock for a living while the Chinese have a farming culture. In addition to the major language differences between the two countries, it is only natural for both Mongolian students who study Chinese and Chinese students who learn Mongolian encounter language and cultural difficulties. Even though there are some cultural differences between the two countries, however, after several hundred years of cultural exchange between the two neighboring countries there are a lot of cultural similarities. This study shows how important and joyful the Lunar New year is for these two countries. This study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter explains the motivation behind this research, research methods, procedures and the research scope and limitations. The second chapter explains the basic concept of the Lunar New Year, including the respective origins of Chinese New Year and the Mongolian Festival (Mongolian New Year “ Цагаан сар ” White Month). The third chapter deals with the New Year''s diet practices, such as specific traditional foods, and what kind of meanings they represent. In the this chapter, the New Year customs between China and Mongolia, such as what kind of symbolic meaning of rituals and taboos one should pay attention to are examined，and shows two of the New Year The traditional New Year''s when the fun games and activities arranged. The fourth chapter highlights the similarities in customs and culture in both the Chinese and Mongolian New year. My contributions to this research is also presented in this chapter.